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I have a little problem. I'm addicted to cookbooks, food writing, recipe collecting, and cooking. I have a lot of recipes waiting for me to try them, and ideas from articles, tv, and restaurants often lead to new dishes. I started losing track of what I've done. So now I'm taking photos and writing about what I've prepared—unless it's terrible in which case I forget it ever happened.

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Tuesday, October 26, 2010

One of the first types of wheat to be grown as a crop during the Neolithic era was einkorn. 12,000 years later, this ancient grain is being cultivated again and in this case made into pasta. Nutritionally, it’s very similar to the whole wheat pasta I usually buy, but einkorn is touted to have twice the antioxidant capacity of durum wheat. I received samples of einkorn pasta from Jovial and was curious about the flavor and texture. Mushrooms always work well with the nuttiness of whole wheat pastas, so I had a meal plan in mind. I had just brought home some mushroom paté made by Kocurek Family Charcuterie which sells at our farmers’ markets. I stirred the paté into the pasta and topped it with some sauteed, sliced creminis. I’m easy to please with a plate of any sort of pasta with mushrooms, but this was a particularly good combination.

The Kocureks make their paté with mushrooms, almonds, onions, butter, thyme, sherry, and salt and pepper. It’s a smooth and fragrant blend with a nice nutty, woodsiness about it. Another suggested use for the paté would be in stuffed chicken breasts. I added texture to the dish by topping it with sliced creminis that I sauteed in olive oil with minced shallots. Once on the plate, I added just a little freshly grated parmigiano reggiano and chopped parsley.

With some whole wheat pasta, I don’t notice much difference in flavor from regular white pasta. Other times, there is a more noticeable wheaty flavor that I’ve come to appreciate. This einkorn pasta did deliver in wheatiness and was fitting with the mushroom paté. While I might want a simpler pasta flavor for more delicate dishes like something with shellfish, I think this would pair very well with all of fall’s vegetables.

Hi there-Lisa Bell from Jovial here. Our Whole Grain Einkorn pasta is available nationwide at Whole Foods and at many independent natural food stores. If your store doesn't carry it yet, they can order it through distributor UNFI. It's also for sale on Amazon.com. Enjoy and thanks Lisa for the yummy recipe idea!

Wow - I love the history, and I had never heard of Einkorn before -- but after reading your post I took a look and sure enough, our Whole Foods carries it. Bought a box and can't wait to try it. Thanks for bringing it out of the Neolithic era!

I've read of einkorn wheat but I've yet to try it - I am sure that it paired wonderfully with the mushrooms (always a winning combination in my book!) Have been wanting to make mushroom pate and now I think I am going to have to move it up on my "to do" list!!